A Berry's Great Story
Chapter 1 The large black tomcat slipped through the undergrowth. His pads hit the ground hard as he made his way into the forest. Scents overwhelmed him. So many, cats, dogs, wolves so much. It was hard to tell where to put his paws. It’s a lot more crowded today he thought letting out a sigh, i’ll just sit here and wait for it to clear out. He flopped down on and sighed boredly. He heard pawsteps heading towards him, his ears perked and scented the air and sighed in relief, it was just another cat. “Hello.” The shecat purred. “Oh, uh, hello.” He mewed his sightless gaze fixed on her. “Im Ice.” She purred cheerfully “Who are you?” “Blackberry.” He answered and smiled to her “Nice to meet you.” “You too!” She mewed and sat by him. He heard more pawsteps heading towards him, more cats. He had met Stoneclaw Mist and Dark. They were all around the same age. The newly made friends started talking. Mist and Dark had to leave eventually. “Hunters!” Stoneclaw yowled. “What are hunters…?” Blackberry’s whiskers twitched confused. “Twolegs that kill with weird tools.” Stoneclaw replied. His sightless eyes widened, he could sense small waves of fear from Ice. “We need to find a place to hide, me and Ice will go look.” Blackberry suggested already scenting the air. Stoneclaw stared at him. “B-but you’re blind…” He began “So!? What does it matter!” Ice snapped at him Stoneclaw flinched “A-alright, well let’s go.” He hissed annoyed with Stoneclaw’s comment but ignored it otherwise. Blackberry led the way his senses keen. Then he heard a yowl behind him. Stoneclaw! “Ice! There’s shelter up ahead help him up.” Ice nodded carrying Stoneclaw. Blackberry scented the strong bitter scent of blood. He slipped into the shelter. “We’ll wait out here.” The others nodded and mewed in agreement and they all lied down. He curled up uncomfortably and closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep. He woke up with a sharp prod in his side. “Wha..” He murmured his eyes blinking open into darkness. “Their gone!” Ice mewed happily, tail swaying. “They give up easily.” He remarked with a smirk. He raised up to his paws and stretched out. “We need to get help for Stoneclaw though, he has an arrow in his shoulder.” Ice fretted. He nodded “Alright let’s go look.” They all headed out of the shelter with Stoneclaw supported on Ice’s shoulder. They stepped into the clearing. A shecat seemed to be recruiting cats for her clan. “A Clan! We can go there and heal Stoneclaw.” He raced off with Ice and Stoneclaw close behind. They ran into the camp, Ice immediately headed straight towards the scent of herbs. He strayed far behind bringing in all the scents. So many scents… where am i going, i can’ tell everything is crowded and wrong… He felt as if he couldn’t breathe his fur bristling. He breathed heavily then tripped on a root feeling his body being pulled down into the hard earth and he let out a small yowl. He raised up to his paws and stumbled after Ice and Stoneclaw. “How is he?” He mewed trying to hide the fear in his voice. “He’s ok.” She mewed with relief. “Good.” “Well we gonna head back now?” “I-i don’t know… maybe we can try and join this clan. I mean if we don’t like it we can always leave.” He mewed. “Alright i guess…” Ice murmured uncertain. They headed up to the top where the scents overwhelmed him again. It’s as if his nose didn’t even matter anymore everything clouded his sense. His fur bristled and his ears flattened against his head. His tail’s tip twitched as he heard pawsteps hit a rock and his ears perked but scented no damage did something jump onto the rock? It was hard to tell with all the cats clouding his senses. He scented the shecat from the forest that was recruiting, and another shecat beside her. The shecats declared themselves as the leaders of this group. One went by the name of Raven and the other Emerald. They showed the cats around the camp but he could barely tell where he was putting his paws. He went by the name Berrypaw now, and Ice went by Icepaw now because they were now apprentices of the Shrouded Claws. They settled down into the apprentices den. “Goodnight.” Ice mewed tiredly as she curled up. “Night.” He mewed. He curled into his nest getting comfortable, he wasn’t used to being comfortable in a nest of moss when he slept, he let out a small purr. He closed his eyes and felt himself being drifted away from the world and appeared into a new world where he could see. Chapter 2 His sightless eyes blinked open. His sightless gaze wandered, he got up to his paws and stretched out his body, letting out a massive yawn. “Have a good sleep?” Icepaw mewed appearing as she had only recently woke. “Good enough.” He replied with a yawn. “We start training today.” “Already?! Oh well, when does it start? Sunhigh?” “Now I think.” “What?! So early! Its barely dawn!” He mewed astonished. “I guess.” She shrugged. “Who were our mentors again?” He mewed shaking away the astonishment. “Yours is Poisonivy and mine’s is Wolfsbane.” “Alright.” He slipped out of the den. Scents drowned over him again. He trembled and made his way over to the clearing. A sharp pain crashed into his side and knocked the breath out of him for a moment. He blinked as shock rushed through him. “Are you ok?!” Icepaw mewed rushing to his side. He shook her off. “I’m fine.” He mewed trying to hide any fear or shock. He could sense her uncertain stare. “Alright… be careful, ok?” “Yea, sure.” He mewed and padded off clumsily. He reached to the clearing where Poisonivy was. “Ready to start training as a spy?” She mewed tail moving. He nodded and she started to train him. He slipped out of the way of a blow from Poisonivy. He turned and sprang at her back landing at the edge of it and slipped off toppling over on his head. He grunted and made an effort to get up but she held him down. “Gotta work on your balance and aim.” She remarked. His ears flattened thinking she was referring he couldn’t do those things well since he was blind. Letting out a sigh as he felt her weight lift off him he staggered to his paws. “That’s enough for today.” She mewed Thank the deities he thought and nodded to her. He began to head towards the prey pile. “Berrypaw you can’t eat til you’ve hunted or stolen something for the clan. I taught you how to hunt didn’t i? Now go off.” Poisonivy ordered. His ears pinned back disappointment flooding over him. He padded off tail drooping behind. He enter the forest and was surprised by a rush of relief as the air was so empty. So little scents, he closed his eyes and stood still for a moment taking it in. He blinked realizing he was out here to hunt and and padded off searching for prey. After a while a searching he caught a whiff of something. He crouched down into the hunter’s crouch that Poisonivy showed him. Don’t favor one side, watch out for sticks and twigs, stay low, make your paws light as air. He went over it all in his head as he approached the scent. He got close enough to notice it was a thrush. His paws slipped across the lush forest ground. He hesitated once close enough, when’s a good time to pounce? What if i mess up where i think i scent it and miss? What if it’s too fast for me? Within his moments of hesitation the thrush noticed him and stretched out its wings. His ears perked hearing the movement of feathers. He sprang forward at it he gripped his fore claws into it at it was in the air. His hind legs dragging behind. Unfortunately the thrush slipped out of his claws and flew off. Disappointment and hunger rushed through him as he listened to its wing beats fly off. He stalked off senses alert for prey. A vole! His ears perked scenting the sweet juicy fresh scent. He held back a purr and smirked and dropping down into the hunter’s crouch. He went over everything as he pulled himself towards the scent. Once close enough he pinpointed where the vole was from its scent and bunched up his muscles. He pushed himself forward springing into the air he landed right behind the vole but he swiped his paw forward landing a blow on the vole’s back. He leapt on top of it sinking his jaws into the back of its neck feeling its body go limp. He stepped back purring in delight. It plump and juicy i can’t wait to eat it. He picked up the plump creature in his jaws. His mouth watered at the scent in his jaws. He headed back into the undergrowth as he made his way to camp. All the empty fresh scents being ripped from his scent and replaced with chaotic crowded scents. His mind whirled and he tried to keep his cool and he stepped into camp.